{"id":22765,"date":"2024-03-11T14:23:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T13:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamnext.de\/blog\/file-names-best-practices-for-naming-files\/"},"modified":"2024-04-02T15:30:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T13:30:34","slug":"best-practices-for-naming-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamnext.de\/en\/blog\/best-practices-for-naming-files\/","title":{"rendered":"File names – best practices for naming files"},"content":{"rendered":"
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File names – best practices for naming files<\/h1>\n

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Reading time:<\/span> 10<\/span> Minuten<\/span><\/span>\n<\/div><\/section>
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Table of contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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In each larger company of today\u2019s digital world<\/a>, countless files are created, edited, and shared over the internet. Sophisticated file names improve findability<\/strong> and facilitate the exchange of information<\/strong>. A consistent system for file names can therefore contribute more to productivity than one might think.<\/p>\n

Before we take look at possible solutions, we should briefly show what it means not to follow a system.<\/p>\n

Almost every PC user has probably spent time searching for inadequately named files in the ‘digital haystack’. If one does not find the required file within a few minutes, the process can quickly become very frustrating.<\/p>\n

It is well known that inadequate file names are a particular problem when no metadata<\/a><\/strong> (keywords<\/a>, descriptions, etc.) and a meaningful folder structure<\/a> is missing. This situation is not only the most unfavorable, but unfortunately also the most common: users who do not take the trouble to name files do not even think about creating suitable metadata or folder structures.<\/p>\n

This is the reality for many private users. In the corporate sector, there are usually approaches for a filing system, although there are also numerous cases of chaos here.<\/p>\n

The systematic naming of files is the first step on the path to optimized findability. In this article, we will deliberately limit ourselves to this first step. You will be amazed at how much can be achieved with a bit of organizational sense and consistency.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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The simplest system is not the worst
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There are areas of application in which it makes sense to use a simple consecutive number<\/strong> as a file name, e.g. in stock photo agencies or similar digital archives. Of course, you should work with leading zeros<\/strong>. Otherwise, the following sorting errors can easily occur:<\/p>\n

1.jpg
\n10.jpg<\/span>
\n2.jpg
\n3.jpg
\netc.<\/p>\n

The number of leading zeros should correspond to a value that is realistically possible. For a larger stock photo agency that markets millions of pictures, the implementation could look like this, for example:<\/p>\n

00000001.jpg
\n00000002.jpg
\n00000003.jpg
\n…
\n99999999.jpg<\/p>\n

With 8 digits, there are 100 million – 1 possible image numbers, which should be more than sufficient.<\/p>\n

Nota bene: the principle of consecutive numbering is also referred to as Numerus Currens<\/a> (common in archives and libraries).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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The date as part of the file name
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Using temporal aspects such as the creation date<\/strong> of a file or the recording date<\/strong> of a photo as an organizing criterion is useful and widespread. Of course, there are a few things to bear in mind:<\/p>\n